The National Tribal Festival 2025 known as Aadi Mahotsav 2025, a flagship initiative organized by Tribal Co-operative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited (TRIFED) under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA), was inaugurated by the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi (Delhi).
- The festival, held from February 16 to 24, 2025 focused on empowering Tribal Communities through Culture and Commerce by providing them with an extensive marketplace to promote their products and reach modern consumers.
- The 2025 festival’s theme : “A Celebration of the Spirit of Entrepreneurship, Tribal Craft, Culture, Cuisine, and Commerce,” embodies the essence of tribal life.
Key People: The event witnessed the presence of several esteemed dignitaries, including: Union Minister, Jual Oram, MoTA; Union Minister of State (MoS), Durga Das Uikey, MoTA; Basuri Swaraj, Member of Parliament (MP), Delhi; Vibhu Nayar, Secretary, MoTA and Ashish Chatterjee, Managing Director (MD), TRIFED.
Highlights of Aadi Mahotsav 2025:
i.The festival brought together over 600 tribal artisans from more than 30 states and Union Territories (UTs), 500 performing artists showcasing mesmerizing tribal dance forms, and 25 tribal food stalls presenting indigenous cuisines from different regions.
ii.The festival featured several key highlights, including live demonstrations by artisans, collaborations with 20 Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), the signing of over 25+ Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs), and international delegations from Sri Lanka and Indonesia.
iii.The inaugural ceremony showcased captivating performances by tribal artists, including Chhau Dance (Jharkhand), Kalbelia Dance (Rajasthan), Gaur Mariya Dance (Chhattisgarh), Siddhi Dhamal Dance (Gujarat), Angi Ger Dance (Rajasthan).
TRIFED Signs Multiple Strategic MoUs:
i.MoU with Tea Trunk: During the Aadi Mahotsav, New Delhi (Delhi) based TRIFED signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tea Trunk, a Goa-based premium tea brand to boost the tribal economy by leveraging Tea Trunk’s market presence and providing a wider range of tribal products to its existing customer base.
- It was exchanged between Sandeep Pahalwan, General Manager (GM) of TRIFED and Snigdha Manchanda, Founder & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Tea Trunk in the presence of Union MoS, Durgadas Uikey, MoTA and Ashish Chatterjee, MD of TRIFED.
ii.MoUs with Meesho, IFCA & MGIRI: TRIFED signed MoUs with Meesho, an Indian electronic (e)-commerce company based in Bengaluru (Karnataka), the Indian Federation of Culinary Associations (IFCA) based in Chennai (Tamil Nadu, TN), and the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Rural Industrialization (MGIRI) located in Wardha (Maharashtra) to support tribal businesses.
- These partnerships aim to enhance the socio-economic development of tribal communities across India by facilitating the promotion of tribal products, culinary skills, and artisan training.
- Signatories: These MoUs were exchanged between TRIFED’s GMs, Prachi Bhuchar (Head of Public Policy and Government Affairs, Meesho), Chef Manjit Gill (IFCA), and Ashutosh A. Murkute (Director, MGIRI) in the presence of Ashish Chatterjee, MD of TRIFED.
iii.MOUs with Reliance Retail, HCLF & Torajamelo: TRIFED signed MoUs with Reliance Retail Limited based in Mumbai (Maharashtra), Hindustan Computers Limited Foundation (HCLF) based in Noida (Uttar Pradesh, UP), and Torajamelo based in Indonesia, aiming to implement the Business-to-Business (B2B) approach and enhance the tribal product market.
- Signatories: The MoUs were exchanged by TRIFED’s General Managers with Pradeep Ramachandran, Senior Vice President of Reliance Retail Limted, Nidhi Pundhir, Global Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Head of HCLF and Aparna Saxena Bhatnagar, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Torajamelo, in the presence of Ashish Chatterjee, MD of TRIFED.
iv.The MoU with Reliance Retail aims to supply tribal products in bulk, focusing on sustainable sourcing, branding, and promotions.
v.The HCL Foundation will support capacity building and enhance the tribal product portfolio, while the collaboration with Torajamelo will open international marketing channels for Indian tribal products in Indonesia, promoting cultural exchange.
About Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA):
Union Minister– Jual Oram (Constituency- Sundargarh, Odisha)
Minister of State (MoS)– Durgadas Uikey (Constituency- Betul, Madhya Pradesh, MP)
